Reflections
by Tomoko
Summary: Two Snakes and two Otacons... what is happening to the world? It's an illusory image... a reflection. ***Chapter 4 Uploaded*** SHORT! ^^;;
1. Prologue

This fanfiction is intended to confuse you. The story will begin to make sense in the last few chapters. All Metal Gear characters, names, etc. are copyright Konami. 

Before reading this fanfic, I encourage you to first read my other fiction, Butterfly.

If you have already read it, proceed. If you haven't, you might be slightly more confused than you are supposed to be. I wasn't going to write more off of Butterfly, but my close friend persuaded me towards it. So here I am…

                   *                 *                 *                 *                 *

.::P r o l o g u e::.

Sometimes… I have dreams.

(Hey, What's wrong, Kirika?)

They… confuse me…

(Oh…it-it's nothing…)

…Scare me.

(Hey… Kirika… who's that?)

But… even though the world has hidden secrets…

(Huh? Oh… that's-)

…and hidden dreams…

(Hm? Kirika? Who is-?)

…they eventually fade away…

(Wait. I know who this is.)

…and all of the happy thoughts from the dreams…

(This is-…)

(AAAAAHHHHH!!!)

…turn into… nightmares.

To be continued…

                   *                 *                 *                 *                 *

Author's note: The parenthesis ( )  indicate a flashback or thought. You will see them several times throughout the story. Please be a good reader and review. No flaming, please. Thanks again.

.::Tomoko::.


	2. Portraits in Memory

And we're back… as always, Metal Gear and all of its characters belong to Konami. So… did you take my recommendation of reading Butterfly? If you did, then some things may come easier to you than to those who haven't. Anyway… 1st Chapter up.

Prepare to be confused.

Hint for this Chapter: Pay close attention to the _context_…you might be able to figure something out before it occurs.

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *

.:: CHAPTER ONE: Portraits in Memory ::.

Butterflies… So many butterflies. Taking flight on powdered wings. Released from a life of containment, they are free, nothing having a hold on them; nothing to tie them down to this world. A golden flutter, and they fly… far, far away. 

Gone. Now they are all gone. They've disappeared somewhere, and… I don't think that they're coming back. They faded away. Now it's soon time… for us to fade as well.

***

.::East Hall::.

            Snake swore. What was the deal with this place? No sentries? No surveillance cameras?

            This was too easy. Something bad was definitely going down. It wasn't normal. After all, this was a base protecting one of the most dangerous Metal Gear units in the world. You would think that it would be heavily guarded.

            _Stupid to keep the unit here_, Snake thought, _This place is falling apart_.

Going further down the corroded hallway, he could hear voices. Some whispering sounds of comfort, others shouting out in anger; either way, they were barely audible.

Snake's thoughts began to drift.

***

            I wanted the world to change. I was stupid. The fact is, that when I wished that, the world was already changing. Slowly, but changing nonetheless. No one really seems to notice; little things like that. 

            The only thing is, the world wasn't changing in the ways that I wanted it to. Instead of getting better, it got worse. It seemed no one cared about my needs for a new world of love, affirmation, and so much more.

            People are selfish.

            (You shouldn't think about things like that.)

***

.::Bio Research Lab, North Wing::.

            "Otacon, I've reached the lab… what do I do from here?" Snake asked over the CODEC.

            "Look for the blueprints on the Metal Gear ROA prototype. Call me back when you find them."

            "You got it."

            Snake signed off of the CODEC and looked around the lab. It couldn't have possibly been in worse shape. The walls were caving in and several storage compartments had been knocked over. There were slashes in the lab chairs and papers were lying around everywhere… carelessness. Or was it? What had happened in here?

            Snake turned a corner and got an unexpected surprise. It was a mauled corpse of something that _might_ have once looked human. The limbs were twisted in a grotesque manner and the skin was taut against the bone that was left. 

The face was… well, there really wasn't a face from what Snake could see. All that was visible were the dark eye sockets in the decaying skull. Blood was spattered on the walls surrounding the body that had dried long ago, along with what appeared to be brain matter. What the hell was going on in this place? It wasn't always like this… was it?

Suddenly, Snake heard footsteps. The next minute someone jumped on Snake's back and wrapped their arms around Snake's neck. This caught Snake off guard. The next thing was the person speaking in a cheery voice, " Can I help you look for something, Snake?" 

This person's voice and body were small… and very light. Snake smiled and replied in a slightly different voice, "You are going to kill me one day… Mey." 

The little girl smiled and jumped off Snake's back. 

"Are you looking for these?" She said smiling again, pulling the prototype blueprints from behind her back. Snake turned around to look at her.

The girl let out a small gasp. 

"You're not…" She stammered in a tiny voice, "You're not him! You're not Snake!"

"Huh?" Snake was confused. Who was this girl? When had she gotten here? Why did Snake feel different? Like coming out of a different world…

"Stay away from me!" She shouted, dropping the prints and running around the corner. Snake got up and looked around the corner, but it was too late. She had disappeared. 

"What the hell…?" Snake said out loud questioningly, and crouched down to pick up the blueprints. Just then, Otacon called.

"Snake? Did you find the prints?"

"Uh…yeah… Sort of…"

"Snake? Is…is there anything wrong?"

"No…it's nothing…really. Stop worrying about me! I'm not a kid anymore!"

Otacon laughed a little. "Okay, Snake… Well… keep going."

"What's up next?"

"Well…for the moment just stay put. I'm sending some data to you via computer there-"

"That won't help me any." Snake broke in.

"Why not?"

"This lab is trashed. All of the computers are screwed up… if they aren't broken already…"

"Damn… well… study the prints and see if you can find a weak spot while I think of something…"

"Okay… but-" The connection began to dissolve into white noise. "Otacon? Otacon-?" *ffzt srrrzzt* "You… *fzzt snzt* you're the one, aren't you? *fzzt snrxx* Come on…*ssrrzzzzz ffpt* this way…" *fffzzt* 

The transmition ended.

"Who…?" Snake questioned into a blank CODEC, "Was…that? That voice was familiar…somehow…"

Another call came in.

"Snake? Snake? Are you there?"

"Otacon…what happened?"

"I don't know…the transmition was cut short for some reason."

"Strange… I thought…that I heard a voice just now…"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"…?"

"I'll…get back to you…"

"Okay, Snake." 

Snaked ended the transmition. That voice was…but it couldn't be…could it?

***

Why are we alive? We all die anyway. One way or another.

(Blood spatter.)

Whether it's through old age…

(A knife?)

suicide…

(or a gun?)

…or murder…

(No! Stay away!)

We all die somehow.

But we all come back at sometime, don't we…

Snake.

***

.::Bio Research Lab, North Wing::.

"Okay, Otacon. I'm here. Now what?"

"Look for the blueprints on the Metal Gear ROA unit."

"Alright. Where are they?"

"They should be in one of the desk drawers along the wall."

"Okay…"

Snake walked over to the collapsed cabinets and rummaged through the spilled papers.

"Otacon…they're not here."

"What? How could that be?"

"How the hell should I know?"

Snake stood up and turned a corner to find a mangled corpse.

"Uh… Otacon…"

To be continued…

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

So… let's take a poll so far who have no clue what the hell is going on. LOL… that's just about everybody! Heh heh… my trick is to confuse… and it's working. Review please. (Remember no flaming… confusion is fine though!)

Until next time.

.::Tomoko::.


	3. Mirror Images

Sooo… all of you are confused except for Lost Goddess, huh? Heh heh… well this will be interesting. Well, she has been 'briefed' (Oh no, I'm starting to sound like Snake… o_O) on what's going on by me… she loves spoilers. 

Oh yeah, if anyone's interested, there _are_ pictures to go along with this story. If you want to see them, I can e-mail them to you. Contact me at: UtenaTenjou75@aol.com and let me know up to what chapter you want the pictures to. At the moment, no going past this chapter unless you like spoilers like someone *points to Lost Goddess* ^_^ The pics are mostly done by me, but I do take fanart from other people too, so feel free! 

Anyway, moving on… you're right, Otaku Tess… I do get influences from the Utena Movie… don't know if that's a good thing or not… o_O Otacon forever! LOL…

Now… onto Chapter 2…

                   *                 *                 *                 *                 *

.:: CHAPTER TWO: Mirror Images::.

          The true end is privilege for those who haven't been born yet. Once a person is born, they will never feel at peace again as life goes on. It's just the way of things.

          That's how life is, and _life_ is part of the world. And no matter what happens or how it effects us, this will always be our world; whether we want to accept it or not, this is still our world. Even with all its faults, this is

(…still our world. Isn't that right, Kirika?)

                   *                 *                 *                 *                 *

.:: Northeast Corridor ::.

          "Hey, Snake…"

          "What?"

          "Um… you're going to have to go back to the lab."

          "What? Why?"

          "Well… you… forgot something."

          "Okay… so, what is it?"

          "I'll tell you when you get there…"

          Otacon signed off.

          "…?"

          Snake sighed and turned around to walk back to the lab. In the corridor, even though hardly noticeable, little flecks of golden light began to form behind Snake. Slowly, they began to gather into a larger and more rounded shapes, eventually forming into the outline of a little girl.

                   *                 *                 *                 *                 *

          Looking at the world as a whole, I realized that an incident like this was just a tiny piece of a bigger puzzle. But it's the pieces of the puzzle that form the whole picture. The only problem was, I couldn't remember what that picture was of until now.

                   *                 *                 *                 *                 *

          Snake stopped. Somehow this wasn't an imagination lapse. There defiantly was a presence here. Snake turned around. It was her. That little red-headed girl with the blue sailor's dress from back at the lab. 

          She had sad eyes. Did she have a knot in her heart?

(Just like so many people Snake had encountered before?)

Who was it that had said that?

"I'm…sorry about before…" she said softly.

"That's okay… is… is that all you were worrying about? Apologizing to me? If it is, you really shouldn't feel guilty about it. It'll make your heart tighten into a knot." 

Those were words Snake had heard before coming from someone else… but who?

                   *                 *                 *                 *                 *

          _Those words…_

          Guilt. Regret. Remorse. Shame. Sorrow. Secrecy.

          These are the things, that if you dwell on them, will tighten your heart into a knot. The only way to rid yourself of it is to let it out of your body; your soul. If you don't, you shall just collapse. Mentally, emotionally, and physically.

                   *                 *                 *                 *                 *

          "No. That's not it," The little girl replied in a small voice. She became scared.

          "Well then… what is it? Don't be afraid… tell me, please…"

          "Frank… he was here."

          "Wha-? Frank? H-how…?" Snake's voice wavered.

          "He…" She paused. "He told me to find you… and protect you."

          "That's not true. You're lying you have to be… Frank is…-" 

          "She's not lying. Stop going against what you truly believe." 

          The voice was surrounding the two of them, but no form was seen.

          "Where are you?" Snake demanded. "Tell me!"

          Out of the darkness, a figure emerged. A woman whose features were unclear, engulfed in a wisp of  blackened mist.

          "You aren't the real Snake." She smiled. "Why don't you stop pretending and tell us both who you really are?"

          "No… you're the one who's mistaken!" Snake argued. " I _am_ the real Snake… who else would I be?!"

                   *                 *                 *                 *                 *

Images forming the entire picture of the big puzzle. That gigantic labyrinth of pieces that were created, put together, and called the world. But that wasn't what the picture was of. The picture was merely a memory, of the mistakes people themselves had made as a species. 

My name… it could have all just been my imagination, but even after all that's happened, nothing's really changed. I still don't like myself. For now I'm still alive somehow… at least… I think so. I'm still here… accepting this world with all of its faults.

Maybe…

          *                 *                 *                 *                 *

"You know exactly who and what you are. You're just avoiding the truth…like so many others on this planet. Life itself has begun to close in on you."

Snake was silent.

"Did the butterfly disappear?"

"How could you possibly know about that?!?"

"I know everything there is to know about you, because I am you. I'm your other side."

"What are you talking about?!? Tell me! Who the hell are you?!?"

The woman simply smirked and replied, "Echoes."

And in one simple flicker of a ceiling light, they were gone. Both the girl and that woman. _Echoes_… that name… wasn't that familiar from somewhere? Why couldn't Snake remember?

          *                 *                 *                 *                 *

It's because memories fade.

(Oh wow! Look, Kirika… a butterfly!)

Memories are merely thoughts from the past.

(…)

They don't make any noise.

(Kirika? What's wrong?)

They're silent.

(That's not a butterfly…)

And yet they still manage to make life horrible for people.

(Huh? What do you mean?)

Ruining their future lives…

(It's a memory…)

By haunting them forever,

(A memory?)

and for all eternity.

(Yeah… it's someone's memory; or at least a fragment of it. When a memory is forgotten, it always finds a way to leave this world… so why not a butterfly? Fly away… the sky is _so _high… I just want to be like that; to be free of everything that has a hold on me.)

You wanted to be like that once too… Otacon.

          *                 *                 *                 *                 *

Snake raced back to the lab without stopping. Not wanting to pause for a moment, just to keep running. Down the thin corridor, where echoes of shoes trampling ricocheted off of the walls.

Finally reaching the lab door, Snake slammed the panel. The door slid open. Snake was more astonished and surprised than anything. Standing across the room was a man who looked exactly like Snake. 

It was like looking at a mirror image of herself. But was this an illusion as well?

To be continued…

*                 *                 *                 *                 *

Has anyone figured it out yet? I'll wait until Chapter 3 for any more hints… ^_~ So… Otaku Tess, Xel-chan, and Lost Goddess… how did I do on this one? Not exactly scary, but it made you think, right? Still confused? It gets worse…  Metal Gear and all of its characters belong to Konami. Please be a good reader and continue to review as the story progresses. Thanks!

Until next time.

.::Tomoko::.


	4. Tell Me I'm Not a Phantom

            Okay… Chapter 3… and the secret is revealed at last. Slight shoujo-ai themes. ^^;; Enjoy. Metal Gear and its characters are Copyrighted by Konami and Hideo Kojima.

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *

.:: CHAPTER THREE: Tell Me I'm Not a Phantom::.

When you look in a mirror, you see a reflection of yourself, but is it really you on the other side of that mirror? Couldn't it possibly be that… it isn't? That it is merely a person on the other side mimicking your moves? Laugh to yourself; tell yourself it's not. But you can't convince your reflection that's the case.

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *

.::Bio Research Lab, North Wing::.

            She just stared. Stared at the man who was wearing the same type of clothing as her; same… bandana.

            "I find this very strange," she said at last. She gave a half-smile. 

            "Who are you?" Snake demanded. He raised his gun.

            She sighed. "Shoot me if you like, but I'm no threat to you. You're not my enemy and I'm not yours." 

            He tilted an eyebrow. This wasn't the explanation he was expecting. "Why should I believe you-?"

            "Do you have a reason not to?" She stopped.

            "Anyway, what's that?" He motioned towards the rolled up papers strapped to her back with his gun.

            She regarded the prints. "They're… blueprints… to a unit."

            "So that's where they were…" He mumbled to himself.

            "What?"

            "I was looking for those. Did you find them in here?"

            "…Yeah. Sort of…" She thought back to the little girl who had dropped them.

_"Are you looking for these?" She said smiling again, pulling the prototype blueprints from behind her back. Snake turned around to look at her._

_The girl let out a small gasp.        _

_"You're not…" She stammered in a tiny voice, "You're not him! You're not Snake!"_

_"Huh?" Snake was confused. Who was this girl? When had she gotten here? Why did Snake feel different? Like coming out of a different world…_

"Stay away from me!" She shouted, dropping the prints and running around the corner. Snake got up and looked around the corner, but it was too late. She had disappeared. 

            "Yeah… that girl dropped them…" She took them off of her back and looked at them thoughtfully. "I was looking for them though-" 

            "Little girl? What did she look like?"

            "I can't remember that well. It was dark; she ran away. Red hair, blue dress, I think." 

            "…" His expression changed.

            "Huh? Something I said?"

            "No… it's nothing. I still don't trust you. Don't get friendly." He scowled.

            "I never said you had to. And don't worry. I don't plan on becoming close friends."

            "Why are you after the ROA blueprints?"

            "Well, Otacon wanted me to find a way to-"

            "_Otacon_? You know Otacon? How the…?"

            "Well yeah. I knew her since we were little… At least… I think-"

            "… her?"

            "Yes. Otacon is a 'she' the last time I checked."

            Snake looked very confused by now. "So you mean that your Otacon's name isn't Hal Emmerich…?"

            She shook her head. "No… her name is… nevermind. Anyway, the reason for the blueprints is… Otacon wanted me to find a weak spot in the unit…to try and stop it."

            "Why are you trying to stop a Metal Gear unit by yourself, anyway? Do you know what you're doing here?"

            "… not really. I was…drawn here by something. I just knew I had to come. Something was just…here."           

            "Okay, that totally made no sense. And this "Otacon" had the same feeling and joined you?"

            "Well…now that you mention it, she never really told m-"

            Before she could finish, the door slid open to the lab and a girl with a white shirt walked in. 

            "There you are, Kirika!" The woman cried and threw her arms around Snake's "look-alike."

            Snake blinked at this woman's friendliness. "Is this…uh… your Otacon?"

            "Yes. It is." She looked over her shoulder at the woman. "Please get off of me."

            "He… he knows who I am? Who's he anyway?" 'Otacon' questioned.

            The woman then looked up. "You know what? I honestly don't know. What is your name by the way?"

            Snake hated it when people asked this question. "I really don't have a name. But… some people call me Snake." 

            Otacon looked at Kirika. "But how? Why, that's your codename, Kirika."

            "Frank gave it to me; I'm not giving it up for some guy just because he has the same one."

            "…Frank? …Fox? Nah, it couldn't be…"

            Kirika looked at him. "What did you just call him? Did you say… Fox?"

            "You can't be serious. You can't know Fran- I mean, Fox."

            Before she could answer, the ceiling tiles began to crumble, and soon collapsed on the three of them.

            Darkness.

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *

Find me the light in darkness, and come to me. 

I await you there.

I found my other self, but I don't know if I'm happy or not.

Will they stay, or will I drive them away? 

I hope they don't like me. 

I'm dangerous; I'm afraid I might hurt them, kill them. 

Tell me I'm not a phantom.

I fear that I am.

So I'm going to run away. 

Maybe forever. 

I may return again someday, but…

_If I do, your friends shouldn't play with me._

To be continued…

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Okay. That's all for tonight… haven't been able to update in a while because I was sick, but… R+R, please. No flaming.

Ja ne,

     .:: Tomoko ::.


	5. And... I've Lost My Way

            Wow… long time no update. I had some really big projects and exams so I didn't have time to write. Sorry!!! ^^ But I did NOT give up on this fic. It's probably the only one I think about constantly. So here goes; Chapter four.

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *

.:: CHAPTER FOUR: And… I've Lost My Way ::.

            Memory. There's something persistent about my memory. Something keeps flashing off and on in the back of my mind.  It gets closer every day, but… I still can't remember. It's not coming. It's like I completely forgot about everything… on purpose. My childhood… it's all blurry. I can go now… wait. Someone's waking me up…

***

.:: Bio Research Lab, North Wing ::.

            "Kirika! You're okay!" The female in the lab coat shouted in glee. 

            "Uh… right." Kirika brushed off some of the debris from the ceiling tiles and looked at the girl. She had a big gash in her arm and various scrapes and cuts on her forehead. Kirika looked herself over. Nothing. No bruises, no cuts… nothing. She stared at her partner.

            "Uh… Kirika…?"

            "Your… head…" She leaned in and touched her forehead with a gloved finger.

            The younger female lifted a hand up and winced. Strange. You would think that she would have noticed this before.

            "Eh… I can take care of that…"

Kirika looked up from her partner at a guy in a lab coat with glasses. She thought a moment. "And you are…?"

            "Otacon."

            Kirika blinked. "Er…?" She glanced over at her "Otacon" and let out a little laugh. "Sure you are."

            The man was confused at the situation. "But I am-" Snake put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. 

            "It's not worth arguing with a woman." And after a short while he grinned at Otacon and gave him a high-five.

            "Male chauvinists," she said aloud and grabbed the gauze tape Otacon was holding. Kirika began to wrap it around the other female's head, but then considered she should probably clean it first. "Do you have any disinfectants?"

            Otacon stopped talking to Snake and fumbled through his first-aid pack. "I should. I think I might have left it in the other bag; in the helicopter."

            "Can you get it? I'll go with you." She said, regarding her injured friend. 

            "Alright, but you don't have to-"

            "I'm going." She interrupted. "I'll be back soon Otacon, okay? Just wait here-"

            Snake snickered. 

            "-what is so funny?!" Kirika glared at him.

            "Oh nothing. Nothing." And he waved it off. 

            "It better be." She walked towards the door with Otacon. "See ya." She said to the other female, and gave her a short salute with a peace sign tailing after it.

            Snake was still partly grinning from his little joke from Otacon, and the younger female's voice broke the silence: "She won't… she won't ever call me by me name… she refuses to-"

            "Huh?"

            "She refuses to call me Elizabeth…" She clenched two tight fists in her lap and held back tears.

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            They walked silently for a while when she broke the silence. "What's your real name?"

            "Eh… Hal Emmerich."            

            "Why does… that guy call you… Otacon?"          

            "Snake? Well… it's my nickname."

            "This is so odd. How is it possible that I encounter two people with the same codenames as my partner and myself?"

            "Huh? What do you mean?" 

            "Well… as you can see, I call my partner Otacon as well, which has to be more than a coincidence, and myself… I took on the name Snake a long time ago… I just don't remember when, exactly. I do know that Frank gave it to me, but I don't know why."

            "And your real name is…?"

            "Kirika…"

            "And your friend's name…?"

            She stopped. She stopped walking and stared at the ground. "That girl in there… she doesn't have a name."

            Otacon looked at her. "What… are you talking about?"

            "I know it sounds weird, but… she's not her."  

            "Not who?" His voice rose the slightest bit in anticipation.

            "Elizabeth. That was what… I use to call my friend that went away. She looks exactly like her… but she's not. Not at all. So I absolutely refuse… to call her Elizabeth."

            "Went away? You mean she died?"

            "I don't… I don't remember. I can't remember anything. And it is hard, but…" She looked straight ahead at the passageway, "I know that's not her," and began walking.

            After a short time, he followed, as well as a dark, looming figure that formed into a silhouette behind them. 

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            A pathway against the light. Where does it lead to? I've wondered here so long and I have finally found the courage. Hidden deep within myself. Stepping on the pathway there is a flash; blinding my eyes. I am surrounded by familiar voices and apparitions that call out to me. My memories. Reverie without break suddenly dissolves away into endless formations of a rainbow prism illuminates the void. Time has stopped once again in my mind. And… I've lost my way.

                        *                      *                      *                      *                      *

Author's Note: I know it was short, but I have to go study now… ^^;; Gomen! More will come around the ending of May or early June. Promise! 

Ja ne,

.:: Tomoko ::.


End file.
